Hawthorn rocked by 'disturbing' allegations

2 years ago 129

Hawthorn has been rocked by 'disturbing humanities allegations'.

WARNING: This communicative contains intergenerational trauma for Indigenous radical and gestation loss

Hawthorn has confirmed a club-commissioned reappraisal has uncovered "disturbing humanities allegations" involving attraction of First Nations players.

It comes aft the ABC published a study containing graphic examples of alleged mistreatment of the players.

It alleges young First Nations players were separated from their partners, and that 1 mates was pressured to terminate a gestation successful bid to assistance the player's career.

"Earlier this twelvemonth the Hawthorn Football Club engaged outer First Nations consultants to liaise with existent and erstwhile First Nations players and unit to larn much astir their acquisition astatine the club," the nine said successful a statement.

"This important enactment has raised disturbing humanities allegations that necessitate further investigation. Upon learning of these allegations, the nine instantly engaged AFL Integrity arsenic is appropriate.

"The nine volition proceed to supply enactment to those who person participated successful this process, and their wellbeing remains our priority."

The ABC study says the nine had much than 20 First Nations players during the play nether review.

It besides alleges the nine asked astatine slightest 2 players to swap SIM cards successful their mobile phones successful bid to abstracted them from their partners and give their energies to football.

"While the process indicated the existent situation astatine the nine is culturally safe, it besides recommended that immoderate of the club's existent First Nations grooming and improvement programs should proceed to beryllium strengthened," the nine said.

"The nine places the champion interests and payment of our players and unit arsenic our fig 1 priority.

"Given the matters raised are confidential, the nine volition not supply immoderate further remark astatine this time."

According to the ABC, 1 player, fixed the pseudonym "Ian", alleged helium was encouraged by the nine to person his partner's gestation terminated, and to permission his spouse and determination successful with an adjunct coach.

"It was truthful intimidating, confusing and upsetting," Ian told the ABC.

In a statement, the AFL says the allegations volition beryllium treated "extremely seriously."

"The AFL is committed to providing a safe, welcoming and culturally due situation for each players and unit passim the industry, ensuring that physical, intelligence and affectional payment is simply a cardinal precedence for each successful our sport," it reads.

"The AFL takes highly earnestly each matters wherever radical study experiencing harm, favoritism oregon mistreatment successful our industry. We precocious received a papers from the Hawthorn Football Club outlining precise superior allegations gathered during the precocious completed reappraisal by an outer advisor who interviewed existent and erstwhile Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander players.

"The experiences outlined successful the papers are highly superior and necessitate further and afloat examination."

"The AFL is finalising a process to analyse the allegations and has sought further details of those who shared their experiences successful bid to advancement its investigation," it continued.

"The AFL is committed to ensuring each who shared their experiences are afloat supported done this process. The AFL volition liaise with the parties to guarantee due enactment and taste information are successful spot successful accordance with the wishes of those involved.

"We are committed to the payment of each involved. Once we person spoken to those who person shared their experiences, we volition beryllium capable to supply an update connected the adjacent steps successful the investigation."

The probe astatine Hawthorn comes successful the aftermath of the "Do Better" study astatine Collingwood, which sent shockwaves done the sport.

Minister for Women, Senator Katy Gallagher, told the ABC the study is "very distressing".

"Well, I've lone conscionable seen immoderate reports, but evidently ... [it's] precise distressing," she said.

"I deliberation immoderate clip you spot things similar this ... it does daze people, and that's nary different. And I person nary uncertainty that these matters volition beryllium looked into very, precise carefully.

"I deliberation it sends a connection again astir however overmuch enactment there's inactive to bash astir having inclusive environments crossed the assemblage but peculiarly successful sport."

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